The present invention relates to a nutritional composition for body weight management, and more particularly to such a composition which contains a combination of ingredients which achieve weight loss in a mammal in need of treatment.
Obesity is a relatively common problem in that 30% of the population in the United States is considered to be clinically obese. In dogs and cats, the same problem exists in about 20% of the cats and 40% of dogs. Aside from psychological issues associated with being overweight in humans, humans, as well as dogs and cats that are overweight, can suffer from other physiological disorders such as diabetes, increased blood pressure, increased blood triglycerides, impaired locomotion, skeletal stress, dystocia, thyroid dysfunction, joint problems, and cancers, etc. These statistics demonstrate that obesity is a common problem in dogs, cats, and humans and illustrates the extreme need for technologies which will address and counteract this problem.
In humans, dogs, and cats, current nutritional recommendations often include the recommendation to consume a high fiber diet or foodstuffs that are high in dietary fiber. However, high fiber diets for dogs and cats are often associated with several undesirable side effects including decreased palatability of food, increased stool volume, increased defecation frequency, poor skin and hair, improper mineral balance, and decreased food digestibility. Unfortunately, even though these types of nutritional recommendations have existed for many years, the prevalence of obesity in both humans and pets has continued to increase. The relative abundant access to foods and the dietary habits of the population continues to make it a challenge for humans to lose weight. Also, because it has been demonstrated that an overweight owner is more likely to have an overweight pet, the prevalence of obesity in dogs and cats has also increased.
Another nutritional recommendation that is often made concerning weight management is to reduce dietary intake of fats. Although numerous low fat, no fat, reduced fat, and “light” types of foodstuffs have appeared and increased their presence in the human food supply, the prevalence of obesity has continued to increase.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the present art to develop a nutritional regimen that assists humans, dogs, and cats in reducing body fat and overall weight.